DP Chapter 23

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Xiang Yiye returned to City S. D University hadn’t officially started yet, and the dorm was empty, with all the roommates yet to return.

Xinghui’s arranged schedule wasn’t until after the Lantern Festival, so Xiang Yiye had some free time. He sorted out what he needed to do in the next few days.

He planned to move out of the dorm in the new semester. Living alone would make it easier to memorize lines, prepare for exams, and audition.

The size of the apartment didn’t matter as much; ideally, the location would be between Xinghui and D University, and there would be a well-equipped gym nearby. His next step was to improve his physique.

Needless to say, controlling his diet during the Spring Festival was difficult. Qiao Sha always tried her best to make delicious food for her son, as all mothers do. She felt that her child suffered outside, and needed to be replenished when he came home.

In the following days, he visited relatives and friends, and wherever he went, there was a table full of delicious food. If the host saw someone not eating, the more sensitive ones would probably have trouble sleeping that night, wondering if they had neglected their guest.

Fortunately, Xiang Yiye was disciplined enough. If he didn’t have time to work out that day, he would adjust the proportion of carbohydrates and protein in his diet accordingly. The most he indulged in food was on New Year’s Eve, when he helped Xu Chuo eat half a portion of dumplings.

As for muscle gain, he couldn’t see any results yet. It would take at least two months. Xiang Yiye thought it would be better to hire a trainer to guide him in the future, as it would be more targeted.

While searching for a suitable apartment, Xiang Yiye continued to read Gu Wenyu’s script, planning to visit him sometime. Before that, he needed to prepare a suitable gift.

Gu Wenyu lacked nothing. While his acceptance of Xiang Yiye was due to his appreciation of talent, there was also a personal connection. Even if he was incorruptible, he was still a living person in this world. No one would refuse a thoughtful gift.

Choosing a gift for an elder who already had a certain social status was something that required careful consideration. Gifts that looked insincere at a glance would be counterproductive, while being too extravagant would be seen as flattery and create a burden for the recipient.

Xiang Yiye remembered that Gu Wenyu liked calligraphy and painting, so he sent a message to Xu Chuo: “Brother Chuo, I have a relative who likes calligraphy and painting. I want to buy some high-quality stationery. Budget is not a concern. Do you have any recommendations?”

A few hours later, Xu Chuo called back: “Are you asking for Teacher Gu?”

He was so perceptive. Xiang Yiye hummed in acknowledgement.

“Are you giving him the whole set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone?” Xu Chuo asked.

“I don’t really know. Would it be better to give the whole set?” Xiang Yiye said.

Xu Chuo pondered for a moment and said, “For the first visit, just give a single item. Xuan paper or ink sticks would be a good choice, as they are more practical. Buy the packaging box separately. We can talk about the brush later. Everyone has different preferences for writing, so wait until you’re more familiar with Teacher Gu before giving him one that suits him. As for the inkstone, it’s better to choose it in person… Are you listening?”

“Listening, listening,” Xiang Yiye said, “I’m taking notes.”

“No need to take notes,” Xu Chuo laughed, “Just ask me anytime. I’m busy with my thesis proposal these days, so I’ll reply when I see it, but it might not be immediate. When are you going to see Teacher Gu?”

“Probably in a few days,” Xiang Yiye said.

Xu Chuo looked at the calendar and said, “How about the Lantern Festival? If Teacher Gu declines the gift on the grounds that it’s a first meeting gift, you can say it’s a Lantern Festival gift.”

Giving gifts should have a reason, and the more reasons there are, the more comfortable the recipient will be. These are all details.

After resolving the gift matter, Xiang Yiye was looking at apartments when Assistant Hu called, sadly saying that she wouldn’t be able to work with him anymore. She said that Xinghui had finalized He Jingming as his manager, and the assistant would be changed accordingly.

He Jingming was Xinghui’s top manager, and Xiang Yiye was no stranger to her. She currently managed Lin Xiao and another male actor from Xinghui. According to Xiao Hu, He Jingming originally didn’t plan to take on another artist, but it was Du Luocheng’s idea.

After last year’s annual meeting, Xiang Yiye hadn’t crossed paths with Du Luocheng much at Xinghui. They maintained a normal superior-subordinate relationship, as if nothing had happened. Xiang Yiye was even more certain that Xu Chuo had said something behind the scenes, otherwise Xu Chuo wouldn’t have known that he wanted to be Gu Wenyu’s student, and Du Luocheng wouldn’t continue to support him as always.

He Jingming was in her mid-thirties and known for her decisiveness at Xinghui. Her method of cultivating artists was also quite old-fashioned. Other artists might give orders to their managers, but He Jingming believed that the relationship should be one of mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

Looking at the assistants she arranged for Lin Xiao, one could tell that she didn’t think much of assistants who only knew how to listen to the artist’s orders and couldn’t manage the artist for her.

Soon, He Jingming proposed to meet with Xiang Yiye at the coffee shop downstairs from Xinghui.

At 1:20 p.m., Xiang Yiye arrived at the coffee shop ten minutes early and found that He Jingming was already there, drinking a cup of coffee.

“You’re here, sit down,” He Jingming said.

The waiter came over to ask Xiang Yiye what he wanted to drink, and he said, “A Flat White… no, a hot Americano, no sugar, please.” Americano had fewer calories.

He Jingming couldn’t help but say, “Lin Xiao should learn from you. If she had to drink only Americano, she’d complain all day. She insists on drinking mochas and caramels, she only drinks things with high calories.”

One’s preference for coffee might reveal their personality. Lin Xiao loved sweets, and mochas and vanilla lattes were her go-to. Xu Chuo wasn’t picky, and he drank dirty coffee most of the time.

Xiang Yiye asked, “Is Sister Xiao still on set?”

He Jingming nodded. Although Lin Xiao was rebellious, she was still dedicated to her work. She had finished filming at the end of last year and immediately joined another production, spending New Year’s Eve in Hengdian.

After a brief chat, He Jingming went straight to the point: “I called you here today to discuss your work for the first half of the year. From February to April, you’ll mainly focus on the training arranged by the company. I asked the teachers who are teaching you, and they all think your basic skills are good, so you shouldn’t have trouble passing the final training assessment. In early June, you’ll be preparing to promote ‘Singing Summer’ with Lin Xiao and the others.”

“I heard from Sister Xiao that ‘Singing Summer’ will be released during the summer vacation,” Xiang Yiye said.

“About that, according to the schedule, it will be released as early as the end of June, or as late as mid-July. ‘Singing Summer’ will definitely give you some exposure at that time, but I don’t think it will have a big impact. After all, your role in it is mainly about family, so after it airs, the audience will at most know that there’s an actor named you. Don’t think I’m being too blunt, all newcomers go through this,” He Jingming said, then couldn’t help but internally criticize her own artist, “Lin Xiao was particularly emotional back then, crying to me all day. Don’t be like that.”

“I’ll be strong, Sister He,” Xiang Yiye smiled, “Then what are my plans for May, when I’ll have some free time?” That time was actually quite crucial. He had many classes in the second semester of his sophomore year, and the various course assessments and final exams were piling up at the end of June. If he ran promotions in early June, he probably wouldn’t have much time to review, so he could only prepare in advance.

He Jingming said, “I know you’re still in school, so I haven’t scheduled too many things for May. It’s mainly auditions and role tryouts. There are currently two scripts that are quite good, I’ll send them to you later to take a look.”

Having new scripts piqued Xiang Yiye’s interest immediately, and he asked, “What kind of dramas are they?”

“One is an ancient costume fantasy drama, and the other is a historical drama. The male lead and male second of the fantasy drama are still being selected, and you can at most play a small role in the historical drama. According to your current positioning, I think it’s more appropriate for you to take the traffic route first. So, I personally recommend that you choose the fantasy drama first, as fantasy dramas have high popularity. But it’s up to you, I never interfere with an artist’s right to choose, what do you say?” He Jingming said.

Xiang Yiye pondered for a moment and said, “Okay, Sister He, thank you, I’ll think about it and give you an answer after I read the scripts.”

In the evening, Xiang Yiye and Lin Xiao had a friendly exchange on WeChat, sharing their experiences of being under the same manager.

“What did you say? You really said that to Sister Mingming?” Lin Xiao finished work early today and was lying down with a face mask on. Seeing Xiang Yiye’s message, she did a carp leap and sat up, starting to send voice messages: “Oh my god, Xiao Ye, you actually dared to tell Sister Mingming that you’d consider it! What was her expression at the time? Quick, describe it, let me witness this historic moment!”

Xiang Yiye weakly said, “She didn’t seem to have any expression, is there a problem?”

Lin Xiao didn’t even bother with the face mask anymore, saying, “Let me tell you this, I had my own ideas when choosing a role back then, and I didn’t want to do what Sister Mingming said. She immediately changed her face and said that she’d never managed an artist as difficult to manage as me. I was almost scared to death at the time.”

Xiang Yiye was stunned: “Ah, then I won’t be put on the blacklist, will I…”

“That’s unlikely. Sister Mingming’s temper has gotten better and better in the past two years, probably because she’s older and has become more peaceful. But don’t think that her ability is not as good as before because of this. Her business acumen and eye for choosing dramas are top-notch, you can really refer to her opinions,” Lin Xiao said.

Xiang Yiye was a little conflicted. Regarding his current positioning and future development, he was worried about making the wrong step at every turn. After all, in his previous life, he had only focused on taking the traffic and idol route, and he had gone too far, which had left him traumatized. But if he didn’t develop traffic, he wouldn’t have exposure, so how far could he go in the competitive entertainment industry?

Seeing Xiang Yiye’s silence, Lin Xiao thought she had scared him and bombarded him with several voice messages to comfort him: “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, my Ye. Sister Mingming has a sharp tongue but a kind heart, and she sets a lot of rules, but most of them are flexible and can be discussed. Let me give you an example. The company doesn’t have many restrictions on artists dating, you just need to report it. But Sister Mingming has her own requirements, and artists under her are not allowed to date within a year. Some artists don’t listen and insist on dating, and when they’re discovered, they just get scolded to the point of being drenched in blood.”

Xiang Yiye: “The artist you’re talking about wouldn’t be…”

Lin Xiao: “You’re focusing on the wrong thing… That’s right, that person is your sister, me. Don’t tell Sister Mingming, she’ll say that I’m leading you astray.”

Xiang Yiye thought to himself that he didn’t need to be led astray, he would stray on his own. Now, in addition to the direction of development, there was also the issue of dating, which was truly a case of being troubled by a thousand worries despite not living to be a hundred years old.

Before he could come up with a definite answer to several questions, the Lantern Festival arrived. In the morning, Xiang Yiye carried a box of exquisitely packaged ink sticks and headed to Gu Wenyu’s private residence.